 Rythu Bandhu Pathakam ( Pledge Loan Scheme )
To prevent farmers from resorting to distress sales, Rythu Bandhu Pathakam has been introduced in the Agril. Market Committee to provide finance to the farmers against pledge of their produce.
Features:
· There is no budgetory restriction for giving advances under Rythu Bandhu Pathakam.
· The Advances are limited to 75 % of the value of goods pledged subject to a ceiling of Rs.50.000/- per farmer.
· Every farmer shall be eligible for the Pledge Loan subject to a maximum of Rs.50,000/- or 75% of the value of the produce pledged whichever is less.
· Interest will not be charged on the loans sanctioned under Rythu Bandhu Pathakam for the first 90 days.
· From 91st day onwards, simple interest is to be charged on the loans.
· Pledge loan is sanctioned to farmers who store their produce in the Godowns of State/Central Warehousing Corporation where Agrl., Market Committees do not have their own godowns or due to non availability of space in their godowns. The Warehousing Corporations concerned shall have to give an undertaking to the Agricultural Market Committee that they will not allow the farmers to remove or sell the stocks without the specific and prior approval of the concerned Agricultural Market Committee. Details of loans given are:-
Year Amount of loan given No. of Farmers (Rs. in Crores) Benefited 1999-2000 14.91 5521 2000-2001 17.01 5640 2001-2002 35.19 9401 2002-2003 73.66 20414 2003-2004 54.00 22534 2004-2005 34.88 11145 2005-2006 38.00 11705 2006-2007 31.13 16566
Sale of Inputs:
To make available the quality seeds, pesticides and fertilizers to the farmers in the Market Yards, the Agricultural Market Committees have been permitted to take up the sale of quality seeds, pesticides and fertilisers on no-loss-no profit basis. The details of performance of the scheme are :- Year Sales No. of farmers (Rs. in Crores) Benefited 1999-2000 33.06 289951 2000-2001 17.05 142482 2001-2002 14.02 181158 2002-2003 16.72 143822 2003-2004 22.10 344288 2004-2005 11.81 172873 2005-2006 13.69 184382
Cold Storage Units :
Soil Testing Laboratories :
Government have sanctioned 55 Soil Testing Laboratories in the Market Yards in the State in the Revenue Division Headquarters at a cost of Rs.6.21 Crores. Out of 55 Soil Testing Laboratories, 52 are functioning in various Agrl. Market Committees with the staff of Agriculture Department and 3 in the premises of Agriculture Department. The respective Agricultural Market Committees are meeting the cost of the chemicals etc., to test the soil samples.
TRAINING PROGRAMMES :
Training classes are organised to farmers at all Market Committees to educate the farmers on the crops to be raised, application of manures and pesticides, storage problems of food grains and other allied subjects with the cooperation of other concerned Departments such as Agriculture Department/APAU/ Horticulture Department etc. So for, 6.50 lakhs of farmers have been trained. The training is basically on agricultural operations in Kharif and Rabi seasons. The number of programmes are 4 per year. These programmes are being conducted every quarter to educate the farmers on crop pattern with the help of Agriculture Department to impart training for 300 farmers at a time in the jurisdiction of every Market Committee.
Training to farmers at AMCs Year No. of farmers trained
1999-2000 2,48,363 2000-2001 2,65,114 2001-2002 2,65,000 2002-2003 1,23,950 2003-2004 89,022
Each market committee is permitted to spend Rs.95,000/- per year for conducting four training programmes i.e., pre-khariff, 1st interaction, pre-rabi and 2nd interaction.
COMPUTERISATION OF AMCS :
The details of computerization programmes of the Department are :
Ø 82 Market Committees have been computerised in 1st phase by ECIL. Ø 54 more Market Yards were computerised by DMI, Govt. of India in collaboration with NIC. Ø The details of arrivals and prices of various commodities are being reported to Head Office through this network. Ø The information received is being daily updated in the departmental website “ http://market.ap.nic.in ” The site also contains information pertaining to Department. Ø 50 major market yard are provided with Automatic Audio Video Display Announcement System which displays the arrivals and prices of commodities of different market yards. Ø Other information benefiting the farmers such as education, health, soil conditions, etc., is also displayed through the above Announcement system. It is proposed to computerise all the Agricultural Market Committees in the State.
ACTION PLAN:
The Action Plan of Marketing Department for future includes strengthening of infrastructure in the market yards; modernization/ computerization of market yards; provision of digital weighing machines in all major market yards; coverage of more villages under link roads scheme; extension of Rythu Bandhu Scheme to cover small and marginal farmers; the spread of Rythu Bazaar facilities; and creation of awareness of FAQ standards among farmers; and formulation of a micro-level plan on area, production, marketable surplus and value.
FUTURE PLANS :
1. Development and strengthening of market yards and to bring more market yards under regulation. 2. Daily collection and display of price data through web based technology. 3. Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) to provide data on Market Yard information to be developed with the help of N.I.C. 4. Touch screen KIOSKs to be installed at major market yards for dissemination of information for the benefit of farmers. 5. To develop infrastructure for prawns and fish Marketing 6. To help export of fruits. 7. To organize contract farming for developing medicinal plants, hybrid vegetable etc.
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